As a cash employee, do I have any legal recourse against a co-worker’s verbal harassment?
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As a cash employee, do I have any legal recourse against a co-worker’s verbal harassment?
I work for a small company where all employees get paid in cash. I resigned due to a co-worker’s constant verbal attacks. The company talked to him told me would never happen again and talked me into staying. After that he got promoted to a manager position and the verbal attacks began again. I see a psychiatrist and I am on meds for depression and anxiety. This whole episode has triggered my past trauma and although it seems like the easiest thing to do is look for another job, in my current mental state, it’s hard enough to get out of bed. From what I’ve been reading doesn’t sound like I have any legal recourse but thought I would ask. It’s so unfair that I have to look for another job when Ive done nothing wrong and the employee who created this, who is undocumented and on probation by the way, gets promoted.
Asked on January 2, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
If the harassment was due to a protected characteristic or category--principally race, color, national origin, sex, age 40 or over, religion, or disability--this may have been illegal employment discrimination (harassment is a form of discrimination), and whether you were paid cash or by check, you may have a viable or valid legal claim. (There is no exemption from the employment discrimination laws for employers paying employees in cash.) In this situation, if you believe the harassment was aimed at you due to one of these protected characteristics, contact your state's equal/civil rights agency or the federal EEOC about filing a complaint.
But if the harassment was not due to a specifially protected characteristic or category, there is no protection: under the law of this land ("employment at will") there is no right to a job or to be treated well or fairly at your job. Your employer (e.g. supervisors, co-workers, etc.) may harass you, be insulting or cruel to you, verbally attack you, etc. and that is perfectly legal.
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